The Deluge
by Rephaim
Summary: Set after the end of Fallout 1. Ties up some loose ends, I hope. Please R&R and I will do likewise to your stories.


Laura knelt, deep in prayer. Fractured purple light bathed her as the ethereal sound of church bells sounded. She prayed for the deluge. She prayed for endless rains that would quench this dead land; the deluge promised by Morpheus. He preached it with his kinetic fiery sermons. It was coming soon. The clouds were building. Lightning flashed over the wastelands. Soon the storm would wash over the entire earth and soothe it like a salve over a burn. Sometimes, if Laura tried very hard and believed with all her heart she could see the terrible black and purple storm heads.

Her prayer was interrupted as a door opened and a man emerged. She recognized him immediately. His name was Jack. He had come into the cathedral a few hours ago with three others all wearing uncommonly clean and bright purple cloaks. They looked like angels. Jack was their leader. So fervent in his faith he immediately had wanted to see the master. Though his knowledge of faith was strangely lacking.

Now his sudden appearance made her smile. He boyishly smiled back, but his expression slowly drained away as he stumbled and fell to the ground. She hurried over and crouched down beside him. Did he have radiation sickness? She didn't know what to do and had always hated sickness and pain. Awkwardly she put a hand on his chest.

"Jack, are you alright?" She hesitantly asked.

His face was fixed in a grimace. His eyes opened and looked into hers as if he had suddenly noticed her. His grimace softened into a grin. She could feel her face getting hot, but she didn't shy away. Maybe he likes me. She thought.

"I've never been better." He answered and slowly rose to his feet.

She then noticed his robe was torn in several places and there were dark splotches of blood on it. She gasped as she realized he was wounded. Yet, he continued smiling at her.

"Let's go for walk, Laura." He said enthusiastically.

Her jaw was ajar and she nodded slightly as she looked at the blood. He took her hand and helped her up. Her legs were slightly shaky. Confusion filled her. He led her down the aisle. It was like one of those marriages she had always dreamed about. Except this was… in reverse… and she didn't remember the groom being so bloody. The church bells clanged again and she walked as if in a dream, a dark bride.

"Where are your friends?" She asked.

His face darkened and he sighed deeply exhaling a poison from his soul. His eyes were like deep dark wells colored and etched with horror. He looked to her and his face lit up a heartbeat later. He turned again towards the exit.

"It's a beautiful day." He said.

Laura's eyebrows bunched. Today was like every other day; hot and scalding. The sun was merciless burning everything beneath it. Sometimes she imagined that the desert would melt and flow as lava. Maybe he had more faith and could see the deluge she could not. Maybe the rain had already started.

"Are you sure there's no one you want to say good bye to?" He asked and her confusion reached a new level.

"Ummm… no not right now."

He pushed open the heavy doors and she squinted her eyes against the bright sunlight. Tiled floor gave way to brittle sun blasted dirt. He had a skip in his step. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he was suddenly light as a feather. His faith must be great indeed. Yes, she believed now. She believed. She believed. She believed.

"Do you see the rain?" She asked.

"Yes. Let me show you the rain." He said after a long pause.

They walked into the wasteland for several hours. Laura was thirsty and tired, but she kept walking expecting to see the clouds at any time. She would follow him to the end of the earth. Suddenly he stopped and studied a band of metal on his wrist. Concern furrowed his brow, and he looked back to the cathedral. The concern evaporated and he smiled again. She smiled back. The church elders had told her about the metal band. They were called wristwatches. Like a smaller version of the great clock in the cathedral.

"Is it going to rain?" She asked

"Yes, very soon now."

There was a massive flash in the distance that bathed them in pure white light. Wind whipped past them kicking up clouds of dust. A terrible fire cloud slowly rose into the sky where the cathedral had been. A sound washed over them like a sustained keystroke of a church organ. She watched in horror and sank to her knees. It was almost beautiful.

The cooling cloud of moisture and life giving water had now turned into one of fire and death. Flaming embers and ash rained around them. Her home was gone, but her faith and belief died in that fireball. She turned to Jack with newly found fury.

"Well, I am become death. You and God alone, huh." He quipped.

He didn't show an atom of emotion, but rather fiddled around his backpack as if nothing happened. He took out a few hypodermic needles from his pack and sorted through them.

"I wanted to get us a little farther than this, but if we take this anti-rad meds we should be fine." He said as he hands fixed upon a certain drug.

She didn't respond and his hand hesitated. He meekly tried to smile before, her rage boiled over and she charged at him fists flying and tears streaming from her eyes.

"YOU CAUSED THIS! YOU DID THIS!" She screamed.

He reacted with trained reflexes catching her wrists with practiced ease, yet he handled her gently. Unable to strike him she gave in to grief and collapsed against his chest heaving sobs. His arms slowly closed around her and they sank to the ground. He stroked her blond hair and spoke softly into her ear. Nestled within his muscular arms she forgot everything she ever knew. She was no longer part of the order. He was no longer the enemy. They kissed long and passionately and slept in each other's arms underneath the deluge of fire.


End file.
